


Smart Enough

by terryreviews



Series: An Odd Pair [5]
Category: Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:14:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25946443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terryreviews/pseuds/terryreviews
Summary: Jamie is not often self conscious about himself and is NOT stupid. He doesn’t know things, and no, he’s not an academic, but he’s not stupid. But sometimes, he feels like he is.
Relationships: Second Doctor/Jamie McCrimmon
Series: An Odd Pair [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1822429
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	Smart Enough

**Author's Note:**

> I love Jamie as a character and I love the Doctor as a character and I love these two characters together romantically and/or platonically. I think they are great together. I am adoring writing for them.

For the last hour, the Doctor had been trying to find Jamie. He tried both their bedrooms, Zoe’s bedroom, knocked on the bathroom door, passed through the console room, check the kitchen, eventually landing in the library.

Wandering through vast, teetering, isles of piled high books, searching. He first went tot he cozy little nook by the fireplace. He and Jamie often liked to curl up on the little sofa. They’d listen to music, read (be it Jamie learning to do so or the Doctor reading aloud) or just hold each other in peaceful silence. A wonderful way to unwind after an adventure. More than once they’d find themselves waking up hours later.

He wasn’t on the sofa, nor in the section with picture books, or young adult titles (Jamie had made great progress in his lessons and could sometimes get through smaller books) and nothing.

It wasn’t that he was worried. Nothing on the TARDIS would harm Jamie. It was just a little concerning he couldn’t find him is all. And, maybe, he’d been wanting a little cuddle. Zoe was not one for cuddles so he couldn’t ask her.

“Jamie,” he called out into the room, “where are you?”

No response.

He headed towards the classics. He’d pointed out a few books that Jamie might enjoy just last week, offering to read them to him. Perhaps that’s what Jamie was doing. Searching for one of the titles pointed out to him. The Doctor rounded a corner, expecting to see Jamie kneeling there.

When he was the Doctor fiddled with his fingers and groused, “oh really now.” He was not worried.

“Jamie?” He called out again.

“Omph!”

Followed quickly by a thud.

“Jamie! Are you alright?” The Doctor ran towards the noise, swiveling around a few sharp corners until he finally found Jamie.

The young man was on his side, several books strewn around him, he was pushing himself back up.

Instantly, the Doctor was by his side, catching him under his elbow and lifting.

“Up you get,” he said absently as he helped Jamie onto his feet, then promptly checking him over, “nothing broken? Nothing bruised?”

“I’m fine, stop fussing,” Jamie pushed his hands away, side stepping when the Doctor tried to look passed him to the books on the floor.

“Can’t help but fuss over you,” the Doctor cupped his cheek, “been looking for you for the last hour.”

Jamie glanced away, “sorry.”

“Oh don’t be, you couldn’t have known. Was wondering if you’d like to come to bed for a cuddle.”

“Uh,” Jamie’s eyes darted to his scattered books, “maybe in a bit, yeah?”

“Were you doing some reading?” Before Jamie could do or say anything, the Doctor slipped around him and scooped up one of the books.

A large, old thing. He weighed it in his hands and studied the cover with a raised eyebrow.

“Jamie, I don’t know if you’re aware of what kind of book this is but just so you _are_ aware, it isn’t like the ones we read together,” he said gently.

Jamie was darting about, not looking at the Doctor as he picked up the other three books he had when he’d fallen, “I know.” He said.

The Doctor looked at the book again “Physics”. An old, simple, text from Earth around the 1990s. Quaint and perfect for teaching the basics of the universe and the functions therein. 

“What other books do you have?” he asked when Jamie, arms full, had finally stilled.

Jamie’s cheeks were red and he still wasn’t looking at the Doctor.

“Nothing.”

“Those are awfully heavy nothings. Here,” before Jamie could protest, the Doctor pulled one of the books out of his arms, “that way you don’t strain yourself. I’ll carry two, you carry two.”

Jamie opened his mouth and then shut it, nodding, and allowed himself to be led to the nook.

Once there, they placed the books on the table, the Doctor eyeing the titles as they both took a seat. Jamie curling somewhat into himself.

“Jamie, you’re acting like you’re a school boy in trouble. What’s the matter?” He reached out a hand and cupped the other’s cheek, encouraging him to meet his gaze.

Jamie didn’t answer right away.

“Maths, Physics, the History of Time Travel and...Quantum Mechanics,” the Doctor listed, “very heavy and dry material. Not your usual tastes.”

Jamie pulled away, “Maybe I wanted to change?” he squirmed, hands coming to rest in his lap, staring down.

“Why ever would you want to do that?” 

The Doctor just had that way about him, a way to draw people out, to talk to him, and, as this was Jamie, it didn’t take long for him to open up.

“I’m...I just want to...” he ran a hand through his hair, “I don’t know how to say it. I just...I’m tired of being stupid.”

The Doctor’s jaw dropped, “Jamie, look at me.” He put a hand on Jamie’s shoulder, “please?”

When Jamie, reluctantly, lifted his head the Doctor kissed the tip of his nose, “you are _not_ stupid. Why would you ever think you were?”

“Well,” Jamie stumbled, “I...I can’t do anything. Not like you and Zoe. I don’t know about...Fishics (he was so distressed that the Doctor didn’t bother to correct him) and I can only add and subtract. I can’t read well. I just...” he dropped his face again. “I just want to be smarter. I want to be able to help more.”

“You help plenty,” when Jamie scoffed, “you absolutely do James McCrimmon. You are a brave, loyal, kind person and I would take a thousand of you over a thousand of the smartest people in the galaxy. You are not stupid. You can and have learned new things, and you are open minded for the most part. You are a wonderful person Jamie, just the way you are. Now, if you really truly want to learn all of these things, I can help you. You’ve learned how to tell time and can do basic math now, and you are doing fantastic with your reading. You are going at your pace and are doing it so well. You have nothing, nothing at all, to be ashamed of. You’ve never given up in any of the lessons you’ve had and you continue to want to learn new things. That’s more than many people could say. And if you earnestly want to start understanding Quantum Mechanics, we can work towards that. But please, do not ever feel that you’re lesser than myself or Zoe or anyone simply because you’re at your own level right now. You don’t have to push yourself or compete with anyone.”

Jamie took all of this in and then, very slowly, let his weight sway him side ways so he was laying his head against the Doctor.

Very quietly, Jamie said, “I don’t want to learn quantum mechanics.”

Not so quietly, the Doctor laughed and wrapped an arm around him, “then you don’t have to.”

They stayed like that for a while before Jamie mumbled, “how about you lay back and we have that cuddle?”

The Doctor kissed his hair and proceeded to lay back, shucking his coat, kicking off his shoes.

“It is a rather long way back to the bedroom,” he said, smiling as Jamie took his coat, laid on top of him, and draped it over his back making a make-shift blanket for them.

“Aye, it is.”

The fireplace came on and the Doctor silently thanked the TARDIS for her thoughtfulness as he savored Jamie’s weight and heat against him, listening to his breath.


End file.
